The DNC's Iraq Counterattack

Built on the theme that Republicans, Democrats and the voting public have lost confidence in President George W. Bush, the ad begins with footage from Virginia Sen. John Warner's (R) floor speech on Tuesday urging passage of a resolution that would require the White House to provide more regular updates on the Iraq war. (The measure passed by a 79-19 vote.)

It then switches to a radio appearance by Arizona Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R) on the "Imus in the Morning" radio show in which he said, bluntly, that he would not want the president to campaign in his district. Finally, the ad shows newspaper clippings detailing the declining approval numbers of Bush in a slew of recent surveys. "Together, America Can Do Better," appears on screen at the ad's close.

The efficacy of commercials like these on the Internet remains an open question. The primary goal of these type of advertisements is to gin up the base and generate donations to the national party committees. Few outside the most-loyal of party insiders ever see them.